JPH0638925A - Television camera for endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a television camera for endoscope which is formed in the waterproof structure so that it can be dipped into medical liquid by itself, and also be protected from infiltration of liquid from outside into a connection part, even if an adapter of waterproof structure is connected, and further, which can be dipped into the medical liquid and undergo gas sterilization in this state without causing any troubles. CONSTITUTION:In a television camera for endoscope wholly constituted in waterproof structure, in which a television camera head 11 connected to an eye contact part 2a of an endoscope 2 is provided on one end side through a waterproof adapter 50 for the purpose of taking images inspected by the endoscope 2 and a connector 12 connected to a television camera controller 5 is provided on the other end side, a waterproof sealing means 48 is provided to seal its connection part in waterproofness from outside, when the adapter 50 is connected to the television camera head 11.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an endoscope television camera device having a television camera head connected to an eyepiece portion of an endoscope via an adapter for picking up an observation image of the endoscope.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A television camera head for endoscopes is provided at one end side thereof with a television camera head connected to an eyepiece portion of the endoscope through an optical adapter, and at the other end side thereof is connected with a television camera controller. Connector is provided.

The apparatus has a waterproof structure as a whole so that the apparatus can be completely washed and disinfected by immersing it in a chemical solution after use, and the optical adapter is also a waterproof structure by itself. .

However, the connector side is waterproof by covering it with a waterproof cap, and the waterproof cap must be removed so that it can be used for a gas sterilizer that is decompressed to a considerably low pressure, such as an ethylene oxide gas sterilizer. For example, the inside and outside of the device can communicate with each other.

[0005]

However, even if the television camera device and the optical adapter are each made of a waterproof structure as described above, if the television camera device and the optical adapter are immersed in a disinfecting solution while they are connected to each other, the television camera head and the optical adapter are separated from each other. The disinfectant solution adheres to the inside of the connection area and cloud the lens surface.

Therefore, it is necessary to separate the two from each other before the start of the next use and to clean them thoroughly, which is troublesome. Therefore, if the structure in which the connection between the two is connected is waterproofed from the outside when both are connected,
The air layer sealed between the two when they are connected is compressed by the connecting operation.

Then, when performing the gas sterilization with the television camera head and the optical adapter connected, when the pressure in the sterilizer becomes low, the television camera head facing the connection portion with the optical adapter. There is a case where the non-metal member is subjected to a large pressure from the connecting portion side and is damaged.

Therefore, the present invention has a waterproof structure in which the chemical solution can be immersed independently, and when the adapter having the waterproof structure is connected, liquid does not enter into the connection portion from the outside, and both the chemical solution immersion and the gas sterilization are performed in that state. It is an object of the present invention to provide a television camera device for an endoscope that can perform the above without any problem.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a television camera device for an endoscope of the present invention uses an endoscope having a waterproof structure to capture an observation image of the endoscope. A television camera device for an endoscope, which is provided with a television camera head connected to an eyepiece on one end side and a connector connected to a television camera controller on the other end side, and which is formed as a whole in a waterproof structure. , When the adapter is connected to the TV camera head,
It is characterized in that a waterproof sealing means is provided for waterproofing the connection portion from the outside.

It is preferable to provide a communication means for communicating the space between the television camera head and the adapter when the television camera head and the adapter are connected with each other and the inside of the television camera head.

[0011]

Embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 2
1 shows a system that displays an observation image of an endoscope on a television monitor 1, 2 is an endoscope, and 3 is a light source device that supplies illumination light to the endoscope 2.

Reference numeral 10 is a television camera device for an endoscope,
The TV camera head 11 at one end and the connector 1 at the other end
2 are connected by a flexible signal cable 13.

The television camera head 11 is an optical adapter 5
Endoscopic observation transmitted via an image guide fiber bundle (not shown) that is removably connected to the eyepiece 2a of the endoscope 2 via 0 and is disposed in the endoscope 2. An image is formed on the light receiving surface of the solid-state image sensor 14 in the television camera head 11 by the projection lens 51 in the optical adapter 50.

The connector 12 is detachably connected to the television camera controller 5. And the solid-state image sensor 14
The image signal sent from the television camera controller 5 is processed in the television camera controller 5, and an endoscopic observation image is displayed on the television monitor 1.

A waterproof cap 15 is detachably attached to the connector 12, and when the waterproof cap 15 is not attached, the inside and the outside of the connector 12 communicate with each other.

A waterproof cap 15 is attached to the connector 12.
By attaching, the connector 12 is waterproofly sealed to the outside. Reference numeral 16 is a note tag in which notes are written.

FIG. 3 shows an optical adapter 50, and an eyepiece mount 52 connected to the eyepiece 2a of the endoscope 2 is provided on one end side. On the other end side, a camera mount fitting portion 54 and a mount screw 53 that are fitted and screwed into the television camera head 11 side are formed.

A cover glass 5 is provided in front of and behind the projection lens 51.
5, 56 are fitted in a watertight manner, and O-rings 57, 58 are mounted between the members in which the mounts 52, 54 are formed, and the space between the two cover glasses 55, 56 is watertight from the outside. It has a waterproof structure.

FIG. 4 shows the television camera head 11, in which a housing member 17 housing the solid-state image pickup device 14 is fixed in an insulating cylinder 19 provided in an inner cylinder 18, and a dustproof member is provided in front of it. Glass 20 and moire fringe prevention filter 2
1 is arranged.

An O-ring 22 for sealing is attached between the end portion of the moire fringe prevention filter 21 and the inner cylinder 18, so that the inner cylinder 18 has a watertight waterproof structure against the outside. There is. The inside of the television camera head 11 and the inside of the connector 12 communicate with each other via a signal cable 13.

An intermediate cylinder 24 is rotatably fitted to the outer surface of the inner cylinder 18, and an O-ring 25 seals between the inner cylinder 18 and the intermediate cylinder 24. On the outer surface of the intermediate cylinder 24, a screw mount 26 that is screwed with the mount screw 53 of the optical adapter 50 is formed. Reference numeral 27 is an adjustment nut for adjusting the connection state with the optical adapter 50 in the axial direction.

The signal cable 13 is provided on the outer surface of the intermediate tube 24.
An outer cylinder 28 connected to is fitted relatively rotatably around the axis, and an O-ring 29 seals between the intermediate cylinder 24 and the outer cylinder 28.

A shaft body 32 fixed by a screw 31 to a knob 30 protruding laterally from the outer cylinder 28 is screwed with a screw ring 33 screwed and bonded to the outer cylinder 28. Therefore, by rotating the knob 30 in the tightening direction, the shaft body 32 is pressed against the outer surface of the intermediate cylinder 24, so that the outer cylinder 28 and the intermediate cylinder 24.
Relative rotation with and can be regulated. Reference numeral 34 is an O-ring for sealing.

Therefore, after the knob 30 is loosened and the rotational relationship between the endoscope eyepiece 2a and the television camera head 11 is adjusted, the knob 30 can be tightened and locked at the most preferable position.

A pair of small O-rings 36 and 37 are mounted on the outer periphery of the tip portion of the inner cylinder 18, and a metal seal ring 38 is axially slidably mounted so as to be in close contact with the outside thereof. Has been done.

As shown in FIG. 5, the first pin 39, whose head portion is screwed into the seal ring 38, passes through the elongated hole 40 formed in the inner cylinder 18 in the axial direction to form the first pin 39. It is inserted into the pin 41 of No. 2 from the side.

Reference numeral 41a is a hole formed in the second pin 41 perpendicularly to the axial direction for inserting the foot portion of the first pin 39. A plurality of sets of the first and second pins 39 and 41 may be provided.

The second pin 41 is always urged by the compression coil spring 43 arranged in the inner cylinder 18 toward the front side to be stationary, and in this state, the seal ring 38 has a pair of O-rings 36, The inner cylinder 18 is watertightly sealed to the outside.

A porous resin 45 is interposed between the compression coil spring 43 and a spring receiving nut 44 which is screwed into the inner cylinder 18 so as to receive the compression coil spring 43. The spring receiving nut 44 has a vent hole 46. Has been drilled.

Therefore, the first and second pins 39, 4
1 is accommodated in the space and the TV camera head 11
There is air permeability between the inside and the inside through the porous resin 45 and the air holes 46.

An O-ring 48 (waterproof sealing means) attached to the outer circumference of the inner cylinder 18 adjacent to the seal ring 38 is for waterproofing the connecting portion when the optical adapter 50 is connected. .

In the thus-formed endoscope TV camera device 10, the TV camera head 11 side is completely waterproofed and the connector 12 side is waterproofed by covering the waterproof cap 15. Therefore, the entire television camera device 10 for an endoscope can be immersed in a chemical solution and disinfected.

Such an endoscope TV camera device 10
When the optical adapter 50 is connected to the television camera head 11 side, the mounting screw 53 of the optical adapter 50 and the screw mount 26 of the television camera head 11 are screwed together.

Then, as shown in FIG. 6, the inner peripheral surface of the camera mount fitting portion 54 of the optical adapter 50 comes into close contact with the O-ring 48 on the outer periphery of the inner cylinder 18 of the television camera head 11, and the television camera head 11 The space 70 between the optical adapter 50 and the optical adapter 50 does not communicate with the outside.

Further, when the mount screw 53 and the screw mount 26 are screwed to the end, the seal ring 38 is
1 is pushed by the stepped portion formed on the camera mount fitting portion 54 to move while compressing the compression coil spring 43.
As shown in, the corner 40a of the long hole 40 opens.

Therefore, in this state, the space 70 between the TV camera head 11 and the optical adapter 50 communicates with the inside of the endoscope TV camera device 10 through the elongated hole 40, and the pressure in the space 70 is for the endoscope. The pressure inside the television camera device 10 is always the same.

As a result, the television camera head 11 and the optical adapter 50 are connected to each other, and the television camera device 10 for an endoscope is placed in the ethylene oxide gas sterilizer with the waterproof cap 15 removed from the connector 12. When the pressure is reduced, the space 70 between the television camera head 11 and the optical adapter 50 is always reduced to the same pressure as in the endoscope television camera device 10.

[0038]

According to the television camera device for an endoscope of the present invention, it is formed as a whole in a waterproof structure and can be immersed in a chemical solution or the like for disinfection, and moreover, the adapter is connected to the television camera head. In this case, since the connecting portion is waterproof-sealed by the waterproof sealing means, water does not enter the connecting portion and the lens surface does not become cloudy even when immersed in a chemical solution.

If the space between the TV camera head and the adapter and the inside of the TV camera head are made to communicate with each other by a communication means, a pressure difference will not occur between them, so that ethylene oxide will remain connected to the adapter. Even if you put it in a gas sterilizer and decompress it, the device will not be damaged,
Both immersion and gas sterilization can be carried out without problems.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial half cross-sectional view of an optical adapter connection state of an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an overall view of an endoscope television system according to an embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a half cross-sectional view of the optical adapter of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a partial half sectional view of the television camera head of the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a partially exploded perspective view of the television camera head of the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a partial half cross-sectional view showing a state in which the optical adapter of the embodiment is being connected.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Endoscope 2a Eyepiece 5 Television camera controller 10 Television camera device for endoscope 11 Television camera head 12 Connector 38 Seal ring 40 Long hole 48 O-ring 50 Optical adapter 70 Space

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A television camera head, which is connected to an eyepiece of an endoscope through an adapter having a waterproof structure for picking up an endoscopic observation image, is provided at one end side, and is connected to a television camera controller. In a television camera device for an endoscope, which is provided with a connector on the other end side and is formed in a waterproof structure as a whole, when the adapter is connected to the television camera head, the connection part is sealed from the outside with a waterproof seal. A television camera device for an endoscope, which is provided with waterproof sealing means. 2. A communication means for communicating the space between the television camera head and the adapter when the television camera head and the adapter are connected with each other and the interior of the television camera head. Item 2. The television camera device for an endoscope according to Item 1.